Shadow Mercenary: Blackened Days: Pilot PT 2
by ElectricWriter
Summary: this story part of the shadow mercenary fanfiction series continues as Mackenzie tries to find what she is. but leads to tragic events when William Stryker uses her to capture mutants. she also meets an ancestor of the estacado family.


_Shadow Mercenary_

_Blackened Days_

_~Darkened Hours Of The Present~_

_It seemed to be like only yesterday we came to the present. But me and Aresen rested on the bed together and yes, with clothes on. I open my eyes to see him sound asleep. He looked peaceful sleeping. I felt whole when I'm around him, though he was my biggest crush since the 4th grade. I got up slowly without waking him and went to the kitchen to fix coffee and breakfast. But as I stood in the kitchen, I heard voices and everything flashes around me, I began to see visions that weren't mine._

_["We are one, Mackenzie..."]_

_Then, I saw a figure standing with shadows around it. I was face to face with The Darkness itself. Turned out to be male, but he was reaching for my hand._

_["I own you now...for I own your life, soul, your existence..."]_

_I heard him snicker and I backed away, but it used some tentacle and pulled me back. He grabbed both my arms and looked at me in the eyes._

_["I known for centuries that male hosts are given to harness the Darkness, but you are the first to bare the power."]_

_"A-Are you saying I can't have the powers?"_

_He laughed. ["No, I already took your life. But what I am about to show you would change your life forever. This would be a lesson..."]_

_And before I know it, I wake up in a strange place, look like World War II era. I don't know if I'm dead or this is hell. I wandered through the spots or trenches. But this looked familiar. Oh! Of course! I learned about this in History class. Good thing I paid attention. Some mines exploded and I yelped. "Jeezus what was that?" I quickly headed toward town where I saw soldiers standing, I kept walking down more but I heard a few words. _

_"Hey Miss, go down to the church. He's waitin' fer ya."_

_He pointed the direction and I went down to where he directed me. I opened the door and there stood a man, he looked at me shocked._

_"Oh my God, Mackenzie...I can't believe I'm finally meeting you at last."_

_Holy crap he knew my name. How?_

_"Who are you and how do you know my name?"_

_"I'm Anthony Estacado, I'm your great-great grandfather. You must be Jackie's daughter yes?"_

_"From an alternate reality, yes."_

_He still looked surprised. "I never thought the Darkness has a female host."_

_Surprisingly, me too. My dad did tell me the story about it when I was 9._

_-9-years old-_

_Dad was putting me to bed and he sits at the end. "How about a bedtime story?" I tilt my head. "You haven't told me stories since I was 6." He sighs and sets me on his lap. "I want to tell you the story about The Darkness. Not sure later on or years from now you'll get it. It's best I tell you now."_

_"The Darkness?"_

_"You know at night when I go out for my er...things?"_

_I roll my eyes. "You shoot people?"_

_"How did you now."_

_I could tell he was shocked that I knew. "Uncle Butcher told me. It's fine, it's safe with me."_

_"You promise you won't tell?"_

_"I'll pinky swear on it."_

_Then we shook our pinkies together and clinged them. That's our way of keeping secrets._

_"Well, I use these things called darklings. They do my bidding and also help."_

_"I know they use amounts of language. One was in my room last night."_

_He sighs again. "I had one stay behind when I was going after someone who tried to break into our house. Your mom sure does demon hunts or missions."_

_Mom did missions overseas or overnight stuff. Dad explained to me that male hosts can bare the power. Father to son. His twin sister Capris has a small portion of it and I didn't even know he had a sister. He even explained that the powers can sometimes control the host and cannot die. It needs a human host to survive. He tucks me in and turns off the light. "Sleep well, my little angel."_

_"Ok, daddy."_

_He smiles and walks out. I kept thinking about that story and out of nowhere, the darkling sits at the foot of my bed. I wasn't afraid and it curls up under my arm. I felt safe in a weird way._

_-Present-_

_I couldn't believe it, I was talking with an ancestor in the Estacado family._

_"I do see you have Jackie's eyes. But the beauty, I don't know about."_

_"My mom's beauty. I got it from a woman named Will."_

_He nodded to me. "He settled in your reality?"_

_"Yup. But in the present, he isn't."_

_"Ah, I see. I never thought to this day I can meet you."_

_He seemed to know everything, including The Darkness. He told me about finding these weapons to help control it, I must find them and then show them to him. But I heard someone call my name._

_"Mackenzie! Mackenzie wake up!"_

_Crap. Aresen. I turned to look at my great-great grandfather. "I have to go. I'll try to return as soon as I can I promise."_

_"Good luck and remember this, sweetheart. Don't listen to a word to what the Darkness tells you. It lies just to protect itself."_

_"I will. I'll be careful." I give him a quick hug, but this moment I wanted to cry. Next time I come here, I'm bringing my camera. I run out of the church and I disappear into thin air._

_~History Lesson~_

_I woke up finding myself on the couch and Aresen was sitting in the chair looking at me._

_"You were quiet for the last couple hours. You ok?"_

_I sit up and nodded. "Yeah. But I think I'll be spending the day finding out about the Estacado family. But first this Darkness power."_

_Knowing there is a slight chance I might come back to that weird place, I grabbed my digital camera and my cellphone with a camera. They were from this era, year 2010. Aresen was going to find a job and I went to do research. I came across this strange store with antiques and walked inside. I looked at some stuff they had. Collectibles, jewelry, artifacts and everything. But a voice startles me during my browsing._

_"Anything I can help you with, Miss?"_

_I bump my head against a shelf and I turn around._

_"I'm just looking, thanks."_

_He seemed to give me a shocked expression, he circled around me and was making these "hmmm", "ohh", "hmmm". I began to feel irritation run over me._

_"I don't mean to be mean, but why are you looking at me like I'm some prescious statue?"_

_He raised a finger at me. "You have a power within you, my dear child. But it appears you're not from this world."_

_My eyes grew wide. "How do you know?" Crap he knows._

_He motions for me to come back and he has a chair for me to sit in along with a pot of tea. I sit down and face him. I explained that I was from a different reality and sent here to help a cause._

_"I knew you had power. The Darkness yes?"_

_"Yeah something like that."_

_He hands me a book that explains about the power. I thumb through the pages, but lifts my chin slightly to look at my face. He leaned back in his seat after letting go of my face. "You have Jackie Estacado's eyes. I didn't know he had a child in your reality."_

_"Why is that a shocker?"_

_"Well, usually when a host of The Darkness concieves a child, they die. But I'm surprised he's still alive."_

_I rolled my eyes and I get up. "I think I should go. Thanks for the book." As I walk out, something zaps me in the back of the head and I pass out._

_~Second Time I Died~_

_I was dizzy at first as I woke up, someone was standing in front of me, but grabbed my face._

_"Well well, what do we have here?"_

_It sounded like a man talking, and I thought oh crap what did I do this time? Wait, nothing!_

_They shined a light into my eyes and I pulled away._

_"Seems this girl is a smarty. High school diploma at age 17. Name is Mackenzie Estacado."_

_I couldn't help but interupt. "It's Castiglione you bastards."_

_Then, the man slapped me in the face. "Don't calls us cops bastards, young lady. Heh, I knew Estacados are nothin' but trouble."_

_"F*ck you. I didn't do no shit if that's what you're wondering. You call yourselves cops?"_

_I heard them talking, I couldn't really hear words, but I focused over to their minds. One I heard something about a drill, then donuts then something about the men being dumbasses. One of the must be a woman. Then the leading cop came over with a drill. "You talk or I'll drill this into your skull."_

_"You're an idiot."_

_I heard the drill turn on and it was about to touch my head. I knew back in the other reality, dad told me to be brave, but this time I started squealing like a pig. The tip touched my forehead and without warning, it stopped. He started swearing like a sailor even I can't say it. One of them came over and raised a light at my face. He saw terror in my eyes and I was crying._

_"Captain Shrote, I think you scared the shit out of this little girl. She seems innocent."_

_"She's not leaving yet."_

_Then, I heard The Darkness speak to me._

_["No reason to be scared, Mackenzie...show no fear."]_

_I look behind me and the darklings were loosening the ropes. I remembered I had electric abilities also and I made the lights go off. I pick up a gun nearby, but I saw these containers. "You guys think you can hold me down?"_

_They turn to try and find me, but Darkness was furious._

_["No you stupid puppet!"]_

_I fire the gun at the containers and the room exploded. Stupid to do I know, but I was yanked into the shadows when it exploded. _

_I appear back in the weird place again, this time with my backpack. I check inside and there was my camera. I walked around more and remembered to find the weapons. I find a rifle on the ground and I hear someone crying. I picked up the gun and went around the corner, there sat a man. The sign near him said "Suicide Corner". I noticed he looked upset and muttered words. He holds a gun up to his face, I rushed over to him and tried to pull it away. "What are you doing? Killing yourself won't do any good!" "It don't matter. I bloody live in this bloody cruel world." He yanks back his gun and shoots himself. Oh my God, I witnessed it and now I felt aweful. One soldier walked up behind me and taps my shoulder. "He's been doin' that around here. It ain't your fault, little lady. Tony wants ya to meet 'im at the church." I nodded and grabbed the rifle I found. I wandered more to try and find the weapons. Then I came across three men attached to stakes and were hanging upside down. Like they were crucifide. The man at the bottom held the weapons in each hand and I reached over to take them. Darkness guns. I walk out of there and went back to find the church. I saw a writing saying 'down here' and it lead me toward the door down stairs. I walk in and I raised the guns. "I got 'em." Tony or my great-great grandadsmiles and I put them away. "Way to go, Macky! I knew you could do it. Us Estacados stick together." "Yup. But there's another thing I would like to do while we're here." The room went silent and I took out my camera. "I'll need a picture with an awesome relative." "Well kid, co'mere. Hey Ed, mind taking pictures with my great-great-great grand-daughter?" One of the men walked over to use the camera and took about six or seven pictures. But I took it and I held it up to snapshot a few pictures of me and my three times great grandfather. I am so making a scrapbook after this. I still wanted to learn more about my family history. I sat down to talk with my three times great grandfather and I did a recording about how he brought the power to the family. But there were others who wielded the power and were male. I did tell him that I was from an alternate future, but I can travel through time. He was shocked about it, but amazed. I heard something in the shadows and went over toward it. I stuffed the recorder and camera into my backpack along with the Darkness guns. I get yanked in and before I know it, I wake up in a subway in New York._

_~Stryker Bets~_

_I went back to my apartment to shower and change clothes. When I was drying off, I felt Aresen come up behind me. "Thank God you're home." He turns me around and hugs me tightly. I feel loved already. "You were gone for two weeks. Some said you disappeared after an old warehouse explosion." Sheesh Darkness, you kept me out for two weeks or was it a lesson you were teaching me? I went into my backpack and there sat the Darkness guns and my camera. I tried to see if the pictures turn out and without a doubt, they did. Aresen sat next to me and brought me a cup of coffee. "Who's the guy in the pictures, Mack?" "Believe it or not, that's my great-great-great grandfather. Anthony Estacado." "Then you're his four times great grand-daughter." I chuckled and saved the pictures on a flashdrive. I turn off the computer and decided to go for a walk. _

_I was checking out some clothes at a store and a woman walks up to me. "You're that girl that went missing?" "Um, yes." Then she hugs me which was a bit disturbing. "Praise the Lord! Those wreched cops that escaped got fired and locked up in a facility. What did they do to you?" I was taught to never be disrespectful to people, but she had to know. "They tied me up and almost used a drill to my head." Then he expression changed to anger. "Those dispicible fools. How dare they do that to a beautiful young woman such as yourself?" I smiled but it turned into a frown. That was the first time I was told that. I was never popular in high school._

_[Age-16]_

_It was after gym class and the girls were taking showers and getting into their clothes. I finished my shower and put my blouse and jeans back on. I go to the mirror to put powder on, I accidentally heard the girls' thoughts._

_["Ugh. How can Estacado be prettier?"] ["I wish I had flawless skin like hers."] Oh, I wanted to say shut up so badly. It's called I wash my face. I don't do plastic surgery or face lifts. Not like we want to look like our favorite stars. I know the girls at my school were jealous, it wasn't like this at the mutant school I went to. But being different is what I'm proud to be._

_[Present]_

_As I step out after paying for the new clothes, I noticed I was running low on cash. Shit. And finding jobs here is difficult. I ran back to the apartment to drop my bag off and went for a walk. I had my iPod with me and drowned my frustration into hard rock and metal. As music played, I notice a car pulling up and a man steps out in frnt of me. "Excuse me, are you Mackenzie Castiglione? How about we talk and interest you in a ride perhaps?" I turn off my music and two more men wal out to push me into the car and they get in too. Damn it. Why do I always get myself into messes?_

_"You seem like a bright young lady, but how skillful are you with guns?" Guns? Duh, of course I am. "I have little bit of skill, why?" A smile grew on his face, I had a tight feeling in my gut that something was up. "I am William Stryker, I think I can help you. If you trust me that is."_

_It wasn't long til we made it to someplace outside New York City limits. A building with high tech security and also some people inside that looked hurt. Mutants. The men pushed me toward a room where Stryker had me strapped to a chair. "Okay, Miss Castiglione. Just sit tight and it'll be over before you know it." They attached wires and IVs into my arms. I had a feeling he knew I had powers, but he sent volts through my veins. It hurt like hell, I screamed as if I was being murdered, but the Darkness spoke to me._

_["My puppet, unleash it...human flesh, blood...FEED US!"]_

_This time, I lost control and the lights went out in the room. I blew circuits and when Stryker was near the door, I pushed him against the wall using the demonic arm._

_"You lied to us, Stryker. We know what you're thinking."_

_Me and the Darkness were speaking at once. Two tones. Like when one is speaking and the other talks along with the other._

_"You...you're one of them...what the hell are you?"_

_Since the room was pitch dark, I appeared behind him, but grabbed the gun from his belt._

_"I'm not one of them. Or are you afraid to speak it?" Silence filled the room and I held the gun close to his head. "Mutants. You don't know me, Stryker. I was once a student at Xavier's school. But these powers...ha. It's The Darkness. Watch your back or your blood is mine."_

_I step away and I finally gained control. I heard the Darkness snicker and when lights went back on, I never seen Stryker scared. He looked at me and he shakes his head. "Take her in."_

_The rest, I had no memory of. Until later._

_~Mercenary Costs~_

_Stryker had me work as a mercenary, but sent me to rescue other mutants. Some were used for studies or experiments. I earned cash throughout, but worked for the wrong reason. Somehow the rescues I did weren't what I thought. After weeks of doing work, I managed to make enough money to pay rents the next five months. _

_I felt as if I was being followed when I was loading my guns. I was yanked from behind and i turned around. Aresen. Oh shit. "Mackenzie Jennifer Estacado, what the hell are you thinking?" "How did you find me here?" "I followed you here. Why do you work for an anti-mutant organization?" I felt like my heart sink down into my chest. Aresen took me around to show me the places the mutants were being held. Some were locked up and they stared at me, with such hatred it stung. I walk to one which was a kid that was developing his powers. He looked at me with sorrow, it hurt me to see this. "Mackenzie, you got yourself in this, you can get yourself out. I have faith in you." I look down in disgrace knowing what I had done. Stryker brainwashed me thinking that mutants are terrible. I felt a hand touch mine and I look up to see the kid's hand on mine. "It isn't your fault, lady. They made you do it. Please save us." Then I felt it. An uncontrollable rage that can't be stopped. William Stryker is a dead man._

_~Swallowed Up In Darkness~_

_Lights started going out as I walked down the halls, some guards were walking toward me seeing as I was raged. "Shadow Mercenary, what's wrong?" Shadow Mercenary, one codename I was given. But I knock the guards off their feet with demonic tentacles, my mind was too enraged and angry._

_["These people used you all this time Mackenzie...let loose the anger. It feeds our power."]_

_I just kept walking to reach my destination, I fired my guns a anyone who got in my way. Aresen did help knock them away from me and I summoned my darklings to kill the agents. Oh how pissed I was. Alarms went off and on the intercom said "Intruder Alert". I fired my gun at it and when I reached to where Stryker was, his back was turned._

_"Mackenzie, we don't have to go through this, young lady. Have a seat"_

_I glared at him as lights go out. I walked slowly toward him, he laughs._

_"Seems the dark is your favorite thing, eh?" Then in an instant, he grabs me and slams me into his desk. "Playing with things in the dark. It's always the shy ones who have the darker secrets. I helped you, Mackenzie. Even in your debt woes, financial. You were my merc."_

_Then, I heard the door open, lamps turn on, I heard Aresen's voice. "Let her go, bastard."_

_"Awww, how sweet. Did your Superman come and save you? Aresen Parks. Mackenzie here told me all about you." I could feel Aresen's breathing, the empathy I had was effective. "What kind of things?" "That you were her man from high school, one who is there for you. That's about it. Until..." He then yanks me up and points the gun to my head. "...I found out your true secret. I had a few men see while I sent Shadow here on a mission. You see, mutants in this world are nothing but a plague to humans. My son is a mutant. I sent your girlfriend to bring in mutants for lock up." _

_He admitted it. He admitted sending me to get them. I struggled in his grip and he throws me to the ground. Aresen helps me up and sends a wave at Stryker. I saw he was about to fire at me, but I pulled off a few martial arts at him and knocked him toward the wall._

_[Ages 4-13 Martial Arts Training]_

_I started martial arts at a young age, mom told me it would help if I ever did fighting later in life. My sensei taught me that anger is a weakness that I must let go. I was trained each year, getting different color belts. I learned all kinds of martial arts and got proper training from them. I even traveled to China to learn about the cultures._

_"Mackenzie, in order to let go of your emotions, you must free your mind."_

_"Are you sure, sensei?"_

_He chuckles. "Such curiousity from a 9-year old. Yes, child."_

_Meditation. It clears the mind of the witty. My senseis have had funny expressions when I meditated with them. China was a beautiful place, I was taken to Thailand to get my final belt when I was 13. I took it with pride. I have a 9th degree black belt of martial arts. I still get training today._

_[Present]_

_Where was I? Oh yeah the fight. I did the most damage in his office. But when he fired his weapon at me, I took the hit. Aresen makes lamps shut off and I lunge for an attac at Stryker attempting to do more damage on him._

_"It's the Darkness that consumes me, Stryker. I control it, I hold it. You will die by my hands you sick bastard."_

_"Oh really?" he fires his gun at Aresen and he gets hit...hit in the heart. He falls backwards hitting the floor. I felt the anger rise, like part of myself died inside. I was in deep darkness. I throw Stryker across the room and he lands through a window. I leap on him and I wanted to rip out his throat. Rip out his bones alive. I heard Aresen's voice whisper inside my head._

_"Mackenzie, don't. You'll give in."_

_I wanted to kill Stryker, make him pay. But Aresen was right. I stand back up and walked over to pick up Aresen and I walked back out carrying him. I heard Stryker yell from behind. swearing up words like a sailor._

_Dr. Strange had brought me back to his sanctum. he saw I brought in Aresen who had fallen. But I reached for the bullet and I saw it was metal._

_"Adamantium. Stryker must've used this on him to make you slip up."_

_"I did a research paper on this metal. Is he going to be okay?"_

_He looks over, Aresen only looked at me, smiling that favorite smile I liked. Looked like he was dying, but Dr. Strange places some spell on him in which it made him sleep. No...no...I felt as if I was about to break down._

_"He's not dead, child. I tried to heal him, but he'd fallen into a coma. I'll do what I can to help him."_

_"You mean..."_

_"I know this is a hard thing, but you must let him go."_

_I had to agree. "Keep him safe for me."_

_"I'll do my best. You should get going." _

_~A New Start~_

_It was a bit heart breaking letting Aresen go. I sat in my apartment alone, looking at the walls as i hear people in other places of the complex. I looked through the newspaper to see if there were job openings. But I came across an article about Jackie Estacado. Supposedly, I think I should pay him a visit._


End file.
